On this page
- Compostable bags
- Extra kitchen caddies
- What can go in
- What cannot go in
- Putting your bins out
- Bin requests, stolen bins and missed collections
Find your bin days
You can check your bin collection days online:
Compostable bags
You can buy lime green compostable bags from major supermarkets and hardware stores. Only use 'lime green' AS4736 type bags with this seedling symbol, we do not accept any other type of colour or type of bag in this bin.
Extra kitchen caddies
Knox residents can pick up an extra kitchen caddy for free from these locations:
- Knox Civic Centre
- Bayswater library
- Boronia library
- Knox Library at Westfield Knox
- Ferntree Gully library
- Rowville library
What can go in
- Bread, pasta, cereal and rice
- Coffee grounds
- Dairy leftovers
- Dirty egg cartons* (soiled with egg or food) - Put clean egg cartons into your recycling bin to become new paper products
- Eggshells
- Flowers, grass, leaves, bark, dead foliage, garden pruning, clean timber and branches (under 10 cm in diameter)
- Fruit and vegetable scraps
- Human and animal hair
- Leftover food (cooked and raw)
- Lime green compostable bags – only AS4736 type bags with the seedling symbol (shown above). This does not include dog poo bags
- Oily pizza boxes* that are 60% or more oily - put clean pizza lids and not very oily boxes, that are free of food scraps, into your recycling bin to become new paper products
- Seafood and meat (including bones)
- Small amounts of used paper, paper towels, napkins, paper bags, newspaper sheets, and tissues*
- Small sticks, tooth pics, skewers, and uncoated chopsticks
- Weeds can be placed in the FOGO bin; however, weeds that have been treated with pesticide may not. Visit our A-Z waste guide for more information on the correct way to dispose of noxious and environmental weeds.
* Newspaper, paper towel, tissues and cardboard must not make up more than 3% of the entire contents of your Food & Garden bin, and must be free of any staples, sticky-tape, paint or glues.
What cannot go in
- Backyard and garage items garden hoses, sporting equipment, gardening tools, batteries and oil containers
- Bundled branches, log stumps or tree limbs larger than 10 cm in diameter or longer than 30 cm.
- Cardboard and paper products must not make up no more than 3% of the entire contents of your Food & Garden bin, and must be free of any staples, sticky-tape, paint or glues.
- Clean egg cartons - put this in your recycling bin
- Clean pizza boxes - put this in your recycling bin
- Furniture, textiles and fabric
- Liquids, fats, greases, and oils
- Nappies, personal hygiene products, baby wipes, makeup wipes
- Pet and animal poo
- Pet litter
- Plastic, biodegradable bags, compostable labeled food packaging, including cling wrap
- Recycled items (e.g. plastic, glass, plastic pots)
- Rubble, metal (e.g. bottle caps, wire), rocks, bricks, foil, polystyrene or cellophane
- Seafood shells (e.g. oysters)
- Soil or potting mix
- Syringes
- Treated and painted timber, treated lattice and building materials
View A-Z rubbish and recycling guide
Pet waste
You cannot put pet waste (dog poo, cat poo and kitty litter) in the food and garden bin. Pet poo can contain parasites and bacteria that could make the compost unsafe.
Please put any pet waste into your general rubbish bin. Alternatively, you can purchase a pet poo compost system at a discounted price. The pet poo compost system should be placed away from any edible plants/veggie gardens.
Compost from this service will be used to grow consumable vegetables, fruits and plants.
Tips to reduce bin odours
- Keep bins out of direct sunlight
- Keep meat and seafood scraps in the freezer until bin day
- Use the AS4736 type lime green compostable bags with the seedling symbol (shown above)
- Wash your caddy and bin regularly
- Sprinkle bi-carb soda into your bin to neutralize smells
- Layer your green waste and food scraps
- Make sure your lid closes properly and there are no cracks in the bin body.
Putting your bins out
When putting your bins out for collection, make sure you:
- put bins out before 6 am on collection day
- return bins to your property within 24 hours
- ensure bins are at least 50 cm apart
- place bins with wheels and handles facing away from the kerb
- allow a minimum of one-metre clearance from parked cars, trees, light poles or any other obstructions
- ensure bin lids are completely closed when presented for collection to prevent litter or birds or other animals from pulling out rubbish
- do not overfill your bins. The maximum weight for all bins is 50 kg
- do not place rubbish beside or on top of your bin.
- If you live in a bowl or hammerhead court, place your bins along the straight section of the street.
Bin requests, damaged bins and missed collections
You can order additional bins, report a damaged bin, report a stolen bin and report a missed bin collection online:
Report a stolen or missing bin
Missed bin collection
If your bin contents are not collected by 6 pm on your collection day, you can report a missed bin collection online.
You must contact us within 36 hours (1.5 business days) of your scheduled collection day.
Before reporting a missed bin collection, please check your bin days.
Report a missed bin collection
You can also call us on 9298 8000.
If you find a sticker on your bin or a notice in your letterbox, follow the directions on the sticker or notice.
Opting out of the service
It is possible to opt out of the food and garden bin service.
Requirements to opt-out
You must show that you can compost all organic material at home, with no organic waste going to your household rubbish bin or collected in the bundled branch service.
Provide photo evidence and a brief description of your home composting system plus how you process all garden waste. Evidence can include photos of:
- your compost bin
- worm farm
- a mulcher
We also require a detailed explanation of how you process items that go in the food and garden bin such as bones (raw/cooked), meat, dairy, citrus, and mouldy food.
What happens next?
If your application is successful, your food and garden bin will be removed.
Can I opt back in?
If you wish to opt-in in the future, please contact our Waste Team:
- by phone at 9298 8000
- by email at [email protected]
